Time shows no mercy! These women who once reached Grand Slam finals are now ranked outside the top 100.

As the saying goes, time is ruthless and fleeting. Indeed, some female tennis players, despite having achieved impressive results and even reaching Grand Slam finals, have now seen their world rankings fall beyond the top 100. So, who are these players? What notable achievements have they earned, and in which years did they reach Grand Slam finals? Today, this article will take you through their stories.

When it comes to Russian player Pavlyuchenkova, many fans are familiar with her. Chinese female tennis player Bai Zhuoxuan defeated her in the first round of this year’s Australian Open, marking Bai’s first main-draw win at the event. In 2021, Pavlyuchenkova reached the French Open final for the first time in her career. That same year, she teamed up with Rublev to win the mixed doubles gold at the Tokyo Olympics. However, her current world ranking has slipped to 110.

Regarding career highlights, Azarenka surpasses Pavlyuchenkova. As early as 2005, she won the junior titles at the Australian Open and US Open, becoming the first Belarusian to claim a Grand Slam junior championship. That year, Azarenka also reached her first WTA Tour semifinal in Guangzhou. In 2012, she captured her first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open and reached the US Open final. She successfully defended her Australian Open title in 2013, becoming one of the few players in the 21st century to do so. Additionally, she reached the US Open final twice more afterward. Unfortunately, Azarenka’s current world ranking has dropped to 148.

Canadian player Andreescu was the first post-2000 born to win a Grand Slam title. In 2019, she triumphed at the US Open, securing her first major championship. That year, Andreescu also won two WTA 1000 events. Since she was still under 20, many expected her to achieve great things in the future. However, seven years have passed, and only this year has she won a WTA 125 tournament and a Challenger event, which are the only two titles she has earned since her Grand Slam victory. Currently, her world ranking stands at 160.

Tunisian player Jabeur, who won the French Open junior title in 2011, was the first Arab to claim a Grand Slam junior championship. Since then, she has gradually made breakthroughs for Arab tennis. In 2017, Jabeur reached the third round of the French Open, becoming the first Arab player to reach the last 32 of a Grand Slam. In 2021, she became the first Arab to win a WTA Tour title.

That same year, Jabeur also became the first Arab player to break into the top 10. Between 2022 and 2023, she reached three Grand Slam finals and won a WTA 1000 event, achievements no Arab player had accomplished before. Unfortunately, due to a long absence from the tour, her current ranking has fallen beyond 250. That’s the tennis story for today; stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)